Conservation Comment: Has media interference and spin distorted our view of climate change?

Brit Bunkley says to fight climate change in any meaningful manner, we absolutely need to have fair and balanced media.

Opinion:

In 1998 (updated in 2002), professors Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky wrote the seminal book, Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media, to explain how propaganda and prejudices function in our mass media. They described a "propaganda model" without a conspiratorial bent or monolithic government control. They suggested the use of several "filters" that help determine the media - 1) ownership of the media; 2) the media's funding sources/advertising; 3) sourcing; 4) flak; and 5) "fear ideology" (such as fear of immigrants).

To be clear, this model has nothing to do with the often-unhinged "fake media" accusations by the far right. These claims of mainstream media fabrication are generally diversions. The extreme right's purpose is often to take the attention away from their own politically motivated fabrications such as Trump's "stolen election" or anti-vaccine/masking misinformation. The internet has made this phenomenon worse by masking identities and atomising people into tribal factions.

Although consent by a majority may be "manufactured" by spin doctors, outright manufactured news in the mainstream is rare. Exceptions include the media overplay of the 2003 Saddam statue-toppling in Iraq by the US, later exposed in the same media as a staged propaganda ploy by the US military.

The most common method of mystifying the media is framing the news with clear prejudice, and "flak" (as in WWII anti-aircraft explosions in the sky used as diversions) as a means of disciplining the media by flooding them with negative responses to a media statement or programme. "It is produced on a large scale, or by individuals or groups with substantial resources." Two decades ago, Frank Luntz, an American political and communications consultant for the Republican Party reframed the phrase "global warming" to the more benign "climate change". This phrase became the new media catchword.

Now that outright climate denial is on the wane; we get further flak from far-right organisations using "reputable sources". They suggest climate change may be happening. But enjoy the ride. It won't be that bad. Similar "experts" use strawman arguments that electric cars are useless because they have lithium batteries and electric sources are often fossil fuels. No matter that battery recycling is increasing and those greener replacements for lithium are forthcoming. Or that green electric energy is easily achievable by all nations - with estimates of a Green New Deal to achieve this step costing just 2 per cent of the annual global GDP while achieving economic growth. (Militaries alone cost nearly 3 per cent globally.)

In New Zealand, agriculture - primarily meat and dairy - are responsible for nearly 50 per cent of our emissions. According to OECD figures, we are now rated No.2 in the OECD for the worst greenhouse gas emissions per GDP — a figure seldom reported in the media. Yet, although most media now recognise fossil fuel emissions as a pariah (20 years too late), few focus on the most prevalent cause of our shockingly poor standing, meat and dairy. When money talks, truth walks.

Many powerful groups produce flak that keeps these facts in check at an unprecedented rate. For example, the agriculture industry association Animal and Plant Health wrote a full-page article a few weeks ago ridiculously titled "EU Green Deal may rob poor of food", justifying the use of toxic substances banned in the EU in agriculture. The well-researched and internationally acclaimed movie Milked went unnoticed in NZ media – except for, in my opinion, one ludicrously bad review on Newshub, and a slamming by the far-right Taxpayers' Union, for using some public money for the film.

To fight climate change in any meaningful manner, we absolutely need to have fair and balanced media. Profitable greenhouse-friendly agriculture exists. Only public pressure resulting from balanced reporting will enact meaningful change.

• Brit Bunkley is an internationally exhibiting artist, retired from UCOL.